The Faerie and the Fear
by Green Platypus
Summary: Coolsville in a state of terror, people disappearing and the gang forced off the case, dark times. When Shaggy and Velma's sisters are taken the Police get the gang back to help solve the mystery as only they can. With a mess of angles and an ancient warning about the Ides of March the gang must embark on their most dangerous case yet. Sequel to the Naughty and the Nice. AU. S/V.


**Well, here we are in part 10. Soundtrack is as follows Part 1: "Gotham's Reckoning" from The _Dark Knight Rises_, Part 2: "On Thin Ice" from the same, Part 11: "Marital Sabotage" from _Sherlock Holmes_, Parts 15 & 16: "Kremlin with Anticipation" & "Light the Fuse" from _Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol_, Parts 25 & 27: "Fireside Dance" from _Oz the Great and Powerful_ and "Main Theme" from _Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland_, Parts 30 & 42: "The Carrionites Swarm" from _Doctor Who_, Part 37: "Mollosus" from _Batman Begins_, Part 38: "Brutal Combo Mambo" from _Uncharted: Among Thieves_, Part 39 "Among Thieves" From the Same, Part 40: "Tick Tock" and "Chess" from _Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows_, Parts 41 & 43: "Imagine the Fire" from _The Dark Knight Rises_, Part 44:"Training the Supersoldier" from _Captain America: The First Avenger_, Part 45: "Martha's Theme" from _Doctor Who_. Thanks for following and I hope you enjoy.**

**Scooby Doo 10**

**Part 1: Death from Above**

The bus sped down the empty highway. Cornfields and cow pastures stretched out as far as the eye could see. On the side of the bus a name was emblazoned in large red letters, _The Hex Girls_. Since being attacked by that nut- job in Coolsville, the Hex Girls had gotten much bigger; apparently no press was bad press. Now they were on their way across the country for a string of gigs that would extend through the whole month of March.

Thorn strummed her guitar in the back seat. Dusk and Luna were asleep and her dad was in the front driving. Out the window was just a wide open plane of nothingness. There were no city lights, no houses, only the stars above her. She craned her neck back to look up at them, but something was wrong.

A black spot was hovering in the sky. It was blotting out the stars, and it was moving. A low hum sounded above the bus. Thorn shrieked as a black figure struck against the window. It held a rope that hung from the sky and ended in a metallic point. The figure drove the point into the side of the bus. Backpedaling to the other side of the aisle, Thorn realized that these dark figures were on both sides, all along the length of the bus.

The ropes they carried went taught and Thorn felt the bus jerk up. Things began sliding forward as the bottom of the bus rose off the ground. She heard the thump of falling bodies and realized that the others must be out. Desperately she grabbed onto the table as the bus went vertical, trying not to fall.

A shock shook the bus and her fingers slipped. She crashed hard into the windshield. Forcing herself up, she realized that her father was indeed lying unconscious, slumped over in his seat. Below her, she could see the ground growing smaller and smaller as they ascended. Thorn felt the glass cracking under her. Desperately she climbed up, back into the living area.

She settled herself on a wall when the bus shook again. Wind whipped in her face as she saw the back of the vehicle blow out. A large hole loomed above her. Outside, another dark figure descended from the night sky. Its slender frame crawled like a spider down the bus, face in shadow. It landed between two seats right above Thorn. She gave an uncharacteristic shriek as a large axe, hanging from the figure's waist, swung in front of her face.

"Now isn't the time for fear Miss McKnight." It whispered. "That comes later."

It grabbed her by the arm and they rose out through the bus. She saw Dusk and Luna, slumped over in the back seats, and farther down her father resting on the cracking windshield. Daring to look up she saw a large, shadow black, plane. As she and the slender creature were lifted into it she saw the ropes connecting to the bus snap. It tumbled out of the sky, and out of sight as Thorn was swallowed into the monstrous craft.

**Part 2: Dark Times**

Mayor Snipper took the stage. Cameras flashed at him as every news station in town converged on him like a pack of wolves. Why had he even wanted this job, it had nearly gotten the last guy killed. To think he had been happy when Skip Jones resigned, now he realized what a hell the job really was. He held up his hand to silence the chorus of reporter voices. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the podium, trying to let some air fill his lungs.

"Last night, March 10, we had another incident, the latest child disappearance since the beginning of this month. My deepest sympathies go out to the families of these children, and on top of that a promise. We are doing everything in our power to find these children. This morning I was told by police Commissioner Spears that a special task force is being assembled, led by Detective Samuel Rogers, to investigate and, God willing, find these children."

"Sir" One of the reporters asked. "Is it true that similar disappearances have been reported in Crystal Cove and Gatorsburg?"

"Yes, and I have been in contact with Mayor Nettles of Crystal Cove, and Mayor Caimán of Gatorsburg. They will be contributing to the task force."

"Mister Mayor" Another one asked. "Do the police believe that there is any connection to Winsor Knight, who was recently found?"

"As the papers are well aware, Winsor Knight was a runaway case, there is no connection."

"Isn't it true…?" Another chimed in. "That hospital staff reported Mister Knight screaming, in his room, 'beware the ides of March'? That's March 15 and its only days away."

"At this point, we are not treating Shakespeare quotes as a source of evidence." The Mayor replied, growing irritated.

"What about Mysteries Inc.?"

"The Bookstore on Takamoto Street?" The Mayor asked exasperated.

"No" The reporter shook his head. "The crime solvers."

**Part 3: Vigilante **

Fred slammed his elbow into the green creeper's face. Hey, there was a good name for it he thought. The Creeper tried to return with a right hook but Fred caught its arm and twisted it back. He jerked his knee up into the Creeper's stomach and watched his opponent crumple to the floor. Pulling a length of rope out of his pocket, he tied the monster's hands and propped him up on a chair as the police arrived.

"Detective Rogers" He greeted as Shaggy's father stormed through the door with two other officers.

"Okay, who the hell do we have here?" Sam grumbled.

"The bank manager" Fred announced triumphantly as he pulled the latex mask off.

Sam buried his face in his palm.

"You can't keep doing this Fred. We're dealing with a situation now and we can't have you interfering. Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, they all laid off when we told them to, you need to stop and… for the love of God how did you even find this guy?"

"The robberies occurred in a numerical pattern that corresponded to…"

"Jeez Fred, just stop!" Sam took a moment to calm down. "What you and the others do is tolerated, sometimes even appreciated, but this is different. There is no monster, there is no mystery for you to get involved in, I'm sorry but you need to go home. This is a police matter."

"I can help!" Fred screamed.

"Not with this, you need to get home, if you keep this up… I'll have to arrest you for vigilantism."

"Are you kidding me!?"

"Go home Fred" Sam said, trying to be friendly, trying to make the boy understand.

Fred stormed out of the bank. On the street, there was nothing. People were staying inside. Children were being kept at home by their parents. Police cars were out in force. Only a few shops still remained open.

Fred walked the distance back to his house, four blocks. He boosted himself up through the window, it was quicker. Pulling a large red marker out of his desk, he placed a large X on the Creeper's picture hanging on his bulletin board. Around it, more pictures hung, pictures of the missing children, grainy photographs of people passing in the night. Taking a cue from Dell, he had connected the photographs with bits of string, forming a spider's web that spanned away from the board and around the entire room.

Fred pulled out his knife and slammed it into the picture at the very center, a blurry camera phone shot of a tall, slender figure in the darkness. It hadn't been the creeper, or those smugglers. It hadn't been anyone that Fred had found, yet he still believed it to be the center of the crimes. Other pictures like it, lizard men, and large forest beasts, hung around it. Fred had personally gone through every archive he could get into. He had researched thousands of disappearances. Dell had warned him of something, a terrible occurrence that stretched back hundreds of years, before he, himself, had been taken.

Dell had been Fred's only assistance in the case. The others had stopped investigating when the police told them to. Shaggy, Scooby, Velma, even Daphne were all at home, waiting out the storm. Now Dell was gone, the first teen disappearance, the one that had let the others know that they were in real danger.

Fred looked over the names again, knowing that something must connect them. The first had been Elliot Binder, then Tina Musette, then Wilfred Albertson, then Dell, then Arlene and Abby Wilcox, Marry Anne Gleardon, Jimmy and Cindy Mason… so many, there were so many. Fred would find them; even if he had to be a vigilante.

**Part 4: Nightmares**

Shaggy had been having nightmares all month, ever since the first disappearance. He had barely gotten a peaceful night's sleep. He was tired and he was on edge. They weren't even constrained to the night. Even trying to nap in the daytime, they came.

He was in a forest. It was cold and dark except for the light of the full moon, a strangely comforting light. He stalked like an animal, sniffing at the air. Behind him a little girl cried.

"It's alright Mary, come on we'll be okay." He would say in a voice that was not his, but closer to an Irish brogue.

Then the creatures would come. They darted through the trees like ghosts in the wind, slender shadows desperately trying to capture them. He felt a burning in his arms and hands. When he lifted them in front of him to fight the creatures they would be covered in fur and end in large claws. He swiped and slashed, slamming one attacker against a tree by the throat, he would growl at it.

"Where is he?!"

"He's everywhere" The thing would whisper before dissolving.

He took Mary by the hand and ran. In the distance was a large castle, a safe haven, he knew it. Picking up Mary, he jumped into the trees. The shadows pursued behind him, leaping through the trees like jungle cats, they were swift, but Shaggy was swifter. He jumped from branch to branch, narrowly avoiding the cold grasp of their pursuers.

Landing in the courtyard of his home, the fur would fall off, revealing the human beneath. He carried the little girl up the front steps where a butler held the door open for him.

"Master Seamus, what happened?"

"They tried to take her" He growled, still cradling the sobbing littler girl. "His men are out there, call the others, we need to be ready."

The butler bowed and left the room.

"Daddy" The little girl cried. "Are the monsters gone?"

"Of course darling. They can't get in here; me and your mom would never let that happen."

The butler walked back inside, clad in a blue and silver robe.

"They have been notified sir, they will be here shortly. I recommend that I take the children to the safe room while you and Miss Fiona prepare."

Shaggy nodded, allowing the butler to go fetch his son and take both children to safety. His wife walked in, wearing the same type of robe and handing one to him. He donned it and stood with his wife in the courtyard, waiting for them to come.

"Always in March?" She said. "Why always in March?"

They looked up at the moon, taking comfort in its glow, and transforming. Fangs grew in their mounts, claws on their hands, their muscles strengthened. The shadow men launched over the wall into the courtyard. Fiona and her husband stood back to back, swiping their claws and grappling their foes.

Then _he _came, someone so terrible and so feared that being in his presence put ice in one's blood…

"Seamus! Seamus! Shaggy" He heard as he was shaken awake, drenched in sweat.

Maggie and Scooby stood over him.

"Shaggy I had the nightmare again" She cried. "The monsters were coming for me."

"It's okay Maggie" Shaggy said cradling her. "They won't get you; I would never let that happen."

**Part 5: Stagnation**

Velma tossed another book back onto the shelf. She had reread her entire library, twice. She had re- watched every documentary, every Sherlock Homes adaptation, and every Doctor Who episode she owned. She desperately wanted to be on a case. She knew, though, it was not the time for that. The police were looking for the missing children, and they would find them. Maybe Shaggy knew something from his dad; maybe he could give her some information.

Somewhere out there, she knew Fred was off trying to solve it himself. Ever since what happened to Dell, he had become manic about it. Velma thought that he blamed himself. Maybe Fred thought that he dragged Dell into it.

Her mind rebelling at stagnation, Velma sat at her computer. She checked the email, the news, read some Sherlock Holmes fanfics that weren't half bad. Then she found something that put her mind back into gear.

_The tour bus of the New England band, The Hex Girls was found crashed outside a farm in Indiana. Investigators say that the bus was smashed as though it had been dropped from the sky. "It's more than a miracle that the passengers are alive" said the local Sherriff. "If you ask me it's impossible, but they are." Band members Theresa Hendrix and Dina Sullivan, as well as band manager Jack McKnight were found, alive and unconscious in the wreckage. Lead singer of the band Sally 'Thorn' McKnight was not found and investigators are currently seeking her out for information._

**Part 6: Lovers and Madmen**

Daphne tried desperately to lighten Minga's spirits. Every day she took her out, to the mall, to have lunch… nothing worked. Truth be told, it was partially to help herself. Fred had not called her since she refused to take part in the case. It wasn't that she wanted to refuse, but what could she do? Detective Rogers was right, it wasn't a mystery like they were used to, it was a police matter.

Daphne and Minga now strolled through the empty town square. Up at city hall they could see something was happening. The sprinted up to the marble steps where two police men were holding back a red haired man in a white hospital gown.

"The Ides of March! Beware the Ides of March!"

"Come on Wisely… Knight whatever the hell your name is." The officer said, trying to force him back into the squad car.

"But I have to warn them!" Patrick screamed. "I have to warn them about the plan!"

"How did he get out?" Daphne asked.

"He tore through his restraints" The officer grunted as Patrick elbowed him in the gut. Patrick broke free and began running down the street.

Fred walked down Main Street with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He needed some air; no actually he needed some clues. If he could only get into the hospital to talk to Patrick, he had predicted this the day after Dell, but what were the odds he would get that chance? Just as he was getting lost in his thoughts a man barreled into him.

"Patrick!" Fred exclaimed.

"Beware" Patrick whispered.

"Beware of what?"

"They come… the shadow men… they will come to find them."

Fred had a mess of questions he wanted to ask the man. Something told him that this man had the answers he needed. He had been the answer to the riddle of Black Christmas; he had given the warning in the hospital. Behind him the police were coming to apprehend the man.

"They come" Patrick whispered tensely.

Fred racked his brains for one question, one simple, useful question that the man could answer for him.

"When?"

"Tonight, at the stroke of midnight."

The police men arrived and pulled the man away.

"Sorry" They yelled back as they put him in their squad car.

Daphne and Minga came running up after the policemen. The three of them stared as the police car drove off, presumably back to the hospital.

"Fred" Daphne said surprised. "What are you doing here?" She gave a friendly smile.

"Did you hear what he said?" Fred announced excitedly, half ignoring Daphne and Minga. "Midnight" He whispered to himself.

Daphne stared at him. His shirt was half tucked in. His hair was unkempt and he had a day's worth of stubble. In his eyes was a wild look, like he was a hungry animal who had just caught up to his prey.

"Daphne!" He said as though he had just now noticed her. "They'll come at midnight; we can set up a stakeout…"

"Freddy" She said softly, gently taking his hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm better than okay; I can end this!"

"Freddy we promised not to get involved."

"No!" He said backing away. "I can't, I need to go!" He turned around and walked away.

Daphne stood, staring at Fred as he left, her face frozen in hurt shock. Then she slowly turned and began walking in the opposite direction.

"How long has it been?" Minga asked.

"Two weeks, ever since I first promised to police to stay out of there way, He stormed out that day too."

"And this is the first time you've seen him since?"

Daphne nodded.

**Part 7: Equipment Pickup**

Fred turned the camera over in his hands. It was small, easily activated, and completely concealable as a small clip in his bandana.

"This is perfect" He said.

"I hope you know what you're doing Jones" Red said, betraying his worry.

"Of course I do, I'm gonna find the thing that's been taking people, and I'm gonna catch it."

"Okay, well Fleach said that it should work fine… don't you usually get this kind of stuff from Dinkley or Stauffer?"

"I can't involve them; that's why I needed you to give this to me instead of getting directly from Marcy. I think I'm being watched. I need to keep a low profile."

"That explains why we're meeting here" Red said looking around at the empty warehouse where they now stood.

"After tonight, it'll be over."

"Uh huh" Red said widening his eyes. "Well, call if you need anything else."

**Part 8: Long Distance Investigation**

Velma took down notes at her desk. Beside her the phone rested, speaker enabled. Deciding that she needed to do something with her mind, she had called Dusk and Luna and hoped to find something to help with their case.

"So, the last thing that you remember is being in the bus?"

"Yeah, I guess we knocked out because when we woke up the bus was crushed and Thorn was gone."

"Were you hurt?"

"Not a scratch" Dusk answered. "I don't even remember it."

"Did you see anyone?"

"When I woke up" Luna said. "I might have been hallucinating, but I thought I saw someone in one of the fields, someone in blue and silver."

Someone knocked on Velma's bedroom door. She quickly said goodbye to the Hex Girls, hanging up the phone. Madelyn opened the door slightly. Velma waved her little sister in with a smile.

"What's up?"

"The power went out in my room."

"How can you tell, it's ten at night, shouldn't everything be off."

"My phone wasn't charging."

Velma smiled. Madelyn was not as studious, in regards to academics, as most of the family. But it did not mean she was not smart or observant.

"That's weird." Velma said getting up and switching on the flashlight on her phone. As she led Madelyn out, she noticed that she was rubbing her forehead in pain. "Headache again?" She asked.

Madelyn nodded.

"I'm sure it'll pass."

**Part 9: Late Hours**

"Sam, when are you coming to bed?" Kate called.

"In a minute" Sam answered packing up some papers at his desk.

He put everything haphazardly in a drawer. Turning around to make sure Kate wasn't looking, he slipped his silver VH ring out of his pocket and placed it in the locked drawer in his desk. Next to it was his police sidearm, which, although he hated having in the house, at least offered some protection in the event of a break in, a thought he quickly shook from his head.

"Hey" Kate called from the bedroom. "Have you been having any nightmares lately?"

"No more than usual" Sam answered somewhat confused.

"It's just, I've been having them a lot, and so have Norville and Maggie."

"I wouldn't blame them, with what's been going on recently."

"Well, be glad you haven't been having them, they're weird."

"Yeah, I hope I don't catch it" Sam joked.

"Oh, you wanna sleep on the couch" She deadpanned.

"Very funny."

**Part 10: An Unexpected Visit**

Daphne flipped through the channels on her living room TV. It was about one in the morning and with the recent attacks she didn't expect anyone to come over anyway.

_Knock… knock… knock_

Daphne turned to the door, eyes wide. Slowly she got up, realizing how silly she would look answering the door in her pajamas. She looked out the window and breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that it was Freddy.

She answered the door, punching in the security code to temporarily deactivate the alarm system. Fred stood on the porch smiling at her. His hair was still disheveled and he had yet to shave. He was wearing all black and it looked like there was water or something seeping into the fabric. Then Daphne realized something was wrong. Fred's smile had gone from his face along with most of the color. There were tears on his clothes. A trickle of blood ran from his mouth. Daphne's stomach clenched as she arrived at a horrible realization; that was not water seeping into his shirt, it was blood.

Fred fell forward, collapsing into her arms. Daphne gave a shriek, desperately trying to get out coherent words. She dragged him in and shut the door, reactivating the alarm system.

"Dad!" She finnaly managed. "Jenkins!"

She stared down into Fred's eyes. They were still focused on her. Somewhere in her mind, she registered that that was a good sign.

"Look at me Freddy, stay with me"

"Bloody hell" Mr. Blake exclaimed as he ran down the stairs in his robe with Josephine. Jenkins followed close behind.

"He just came to the door" She sobbed.

"Jenkins get the first aid kit."

"Freddy what happened?"

"Mad…" Fred choked out. "Madelyn… Velma"

Daphne's face froze in fear as the implications of Fred's words hit her. George and Jenkins took Fred and laid him out on the couch. Josephine began unpacking the first aid kit. As they struggled to help Fred, Daphne heard her phone ring. Fearfully she answered.

"It's me" She heard Velma sob. "Oh my God…"

**Part 11: Big Brother Instinct**

Shaggy tiptoed down the stairs and out into the living room. He opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. As he opened it, he recoiled at the smell, way past due. Instead he pulled a cup from the cabinet and got a glass of water from the tap. As he downed the drink he heard a small click. Pulling the flashlight out of the drawer he cast the beam around the darkened house. A shadow darted across the room.

"Hey!" He yelled.

He chased the thing into the living room and down the hall. His heart froze as he saw it throw open the door to Maggie's room. The slender shadow man stood over Maggie's bed. It acted quicker than Shaggy could react. It scooped her up like lightning and darted out the window.

"No, no, no, NO!" he yelled as he vaulted out the window after it.

On his way out he grabbed a stone from the garden. Without looking back he threw it at the window and heard the alarm go off. The shadow took off across the street and Shaggy gave chase. His bare feet slapped against the cold pavement. The warm night air drenched him in sweat as he ran. Always he kept his eyes on the moving shadow.

Lights flickered on in houses as they tore through the suburbs. The creature leaped, grabbing hold of a lamp post and slingshot- ing itself up onto the rooftops. Shaggy desperately scanned the area for a way up. He jumped up onto a set of trash bins, kicking himself up. His fingers closed around the rain gutter of a roof and he hoisted himself over.

The shadow stood on the next roof, staring at him. There was no face, only a blank mass of darkness. Shaggy was terrified out of his mind, but something else pushed the terror away. He saw Maggie in the creature's arms, unconscious. His mind filled only with one thought, and he jumped.

The creature backed away slightly as Shaggy sailed over gap in the houses, fist raised. The shadow dodged and slid down, off the house. Shaggy jumped, landing hard on someone's front lawn. As the painful blur cleared from his eyes, he saw that creature had disappeared. Furious and desperate he ran into the playground across the street. He scanned the area, trying to stay calm, for Maggie's sake.

He listened. The sand crunched beneath his feet. The trees rustled as squirrels scurried into them, frightened. The swings creaked… why? Why would swings creak in an empty playground, with no wind? Shaggy shot toward the swings where he found a small stuffed wolf, Maggie's. He cracked a grin as he looked up from the swings and saw the creature speeding away toward the forest. Shaggy ran, full speed. His heart pounded in his chest. His eyes burned as sweat and tears mixed into them.

The creature was heading toward the forest. He saw it as it disappeared behind the tree line. Shaggy ran after it, never thinking for a moment how he would find his way out. He ducked around trees, and leaped over fallen branches as he ran deeper and deeper into the dark woods. Shadows seemed to be everywhere, staring at him. He felt a sharp blow to his stomach and he fell on his back. The shadows hovered over him ready to strike.

Then a beam of light erupted into forest. He heard three sets of footsteps running toward him. The shadows dissipated. Shaggy pushed himself onto his feat as he saw his mother, father, and Scooby running to meet him. His father held a flashlight in one hand and his police sidearm over it in the other. Both had their eyes wide in shock. Shaggy's strength left him as he realized that he had lost. They were gone. He collapsed into his mother's arms. His heart though, it wouldn't stop pounding.

**Part 12: Responsible**

Fred darted upward. He could feel pain welling up in his chest. He looked down to see several bandages wrapped around his midsection. He looked around the room. It was a bedroom. It looked strange and unfamiliar, but there was a picture on the side table, and he knew where he was. It was a picture of a boy and a girl, battered, beaten and covered in dirt. They each had an arm around the other's shoulder and they were smiling like it was as a day at Funland.

Fred remembered that day, the first case. He and Daphne had stood in front of Jacobo's lab and had Dell take a picture of them, like it was a prize fish. He heard the door open and he saw Daphne walk in. She pulled a chair out of the corner and dragged it over to him, taking his hand as she sat down.

"Why is it always that you're sick in bed, and I'm sitting by you?"

"I don't know." Fred laughed. "But I don't want that to change."

"Why did you come here?"

"I can count of you."

"What happened?"

Fred's face turned dark.

"I saw them, the things that have been taking the kids. I followed what Patrick told me, that they would strike at midnight. I knew where there were still kids that hadn't been taken. I waited… and they came."

"What came?"

"They're like shadows Daphne, I've never seen anything like this. It can't be people in suits this time, they're to… inhuman. I was just going to wait, and take some pictures, but I saw them go into Velma's house. I ran at it, but another one blindsided me. It was so cold. I felt something, tearing at me. It was standing over me, and then it just left, like it had been called home. I forced myself to get away, and I came here…"

"You could have gotten killed."

"It's my responsibility."

"Why?" She asked indignantly.

"When I first started doing this, it was just another case. You guys were helping then too. Then the cops told you to lay off. It was just me and Dell. Then one day I went to his house, and I saw a cop car outside. The door was open, so I went in and I saw his mom and dad on the couch crying. Officer Christopherson was standing there, questioning them and Officer Welker was in his room. I went in and I saw his room, the whole web of conspiracy, everything we had worked on, and it had been torn to shreds. As I left, his mom looked at me. She wasn't mad or disappointed, she was just so helpless. And I realized that Dell was taken because of me. I caused this. It's my responsibility to find them, because of Dell."

"I know you feel guilty" Daphne whispered. "But it's not out fight."

Fred picked up the picture and held it in front of him.

"When we started the first case, before Mysteries Inc, before the chain rattling phantoms, and the Hex Girls, and the robots, before we became what we are now, we went beyond our place, beyond our fight, beyond the crying and hoping that everyone else was doing, and despite the danger we solved it. So you're wrong, it is our fight, because we are the ones who stand up to the unknown, we run in and unmask the things that other people are too terrified to do anything about. We're not super heroes, or Ghostbusters, but we're the closest thing that this town has."

"So I can't convince you to stop?"

"No" Fred shook his head. "But I would love it if you came with me, because together we are unstoppable, and because I need you to keep me grounded. Alone I've been going crazy, nowhere. I can't do this alone.

"If you got taken…" Daphne said, choking up. "I would be doing the exact same thing. If you won't stop, then I'll be there to help you… I mean, it's what we do right? And you're right; I've been going crazy just sitting here."

"I never said that"

"No, but you thought it, now get some rest while I call in the troops." She said getting up.

Fred laid back in the bed and shut his eyes. Daphne placed the picture back on the nightstand.

"Love you Daph…" Fred sighed as he fell back asleep.

"I love you too Freddy" She smiled.

**Part 13: Duty**

Shaggy had collapsed in the forest. His body had been over taxed. When he woke up he wished that he had just stayed there. The first thing he saw when his eyes opened was Fred, bandaged and bruised. He saw Velma was by his bed, crying, and he didn't need to ask. He knew what had happened.

The police reports came in that afternoon. Five more children had been taken from Coolsville, two from Crystal Cove, and three from Gatorsburg. The town was dead. No one wanted to leave their homes out of fear and sorrow. Shaggy's father was working night and day, not sleeping, at the police station. Shaggy's mother had tried to stay home, but she couldn't. She felt too on edge. Finally she and Shaggy decided that she needed to go back to work, to keep her mind busy. Shaggy was staying at Fred's house during the day.

Except today, it was now Friday, March 12. Shaggy and Scooby and the rest of the gang, including Shannon, Eric, Minga, Jimmy, even Marcy Fleach and Red Herring were there. Daphne had given the call. She had told them what happened, and they had come. They all sat in the Mysteries Incorporated bookstore, in the same spot where the gang had first met.

"We need research" Fred opened. "But it has to be discreet. Being too overt is what got Dell…" He glanced at Minga. For a moment, he considered how to proceed. Then he decided that there was no way around it. "Dell was taken because of me. He was taken because he helped me to stop whatever is happening. But I don't think that's why everyone else was taken, something is at work here and we need a link. We need to know what everyone who was taken had… has in common. If you want to go, if you want to bail out now you can. I won't ask any of you to do this if you don't want to." He looked around at everyone.

"Like, It feels like we've been through this before, you know my answer."

"No one's going anywhere Jones"

"Thank you" He whispered. "Now Dell…" He went, reluctantly back into business mode. "Dell and I had a theory that these disappearances were connected to the Krampus."

"Well, according to every newspaper in town…" Eric said. "Wisely, Knight, whatever the heck his name is hasn't shut up about March 15 since the night they brought him in."

"What's happening with him anyway, he's been in custody at the hospital since December" Shannon said.

"Like my dad said that they couldn't get him to trial. My guess is that they'll be holding him in the hospital psych ward to the end of time."

"Then we need to talk to him"

"We can't just get into the hospital" Velma choked. She had remained silent through most of the meeting. "The police, everyone, they'll be watching."

"Then, we send in someone they'll never expect" Red chimed in.

**Part 14: The Hold**

Maggie dragged herself up off the floor. Wherever she was it smelled something awful. She pawed at the ground. It was hard… wood. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the dim light. There was a round window towards the top of the wall and that meant…

"It's a cellar… that's what we think" She heard a voice next to her. Whoever it was, they sounded Hispanic.

"What?"

"You were the last haul, you and glasses girl."

Maggie sat up. She scrambled toward the voice. It was a boy, a boy with dark skin and an unkempt mop of black hair. He wore a yellow sweater and blue jeans and he looked about her age. He was standing over a sleeping girl in red pajamas. He glasses were resting on her chest.

"Mads" Maggie panted. "What happened to her?"

"They took her, it's what they do. They took you too, she'll wake up; they need us awake."

"For what"

"I don't know… everyone they've taken up, mostly they just sleep."

Maggie put a hand on Madelyn's shoulder and shook her. Slowly she began to stir. Groping around, she took her glasses and slipped them on, magnifying her eyes to deer like proportions. Maggie and the boy helped steady her as she sat up.

"What… what happened? Where are we?"

"We're… a…" Maggie looked at the boy who just shrugged.

"Fernando" He said holding out his hand. "Fernando Martinez."

"Maggie Rogers" She replied.

"Madelyn Dinkley" She groaned.

There was a sudden commotion from another corner of the room. Two people, teenagers or young adults by the looks of them ran towards them.

"Maggie, Madelyn" Dell panted excitedly. Then his face sank as he realized what their presence meant. "No, no, no, NO! They took you."

"It's okay Dell" The girl with him said. She had dark black hair with red streaks.

"Aren't you from that band?" Madelyn asked.

"My name's Sally" She said warmly. "Sally McKnight."

**Part 15: Our Evil Plan**

There was a back room of the book shop. Velma's uncle used it for storage and to have a place to wrest away from the counter. On this particular day though, Daniel Rosen had stayed home with his sister and his brother in law. This gave the rest of the gang an opportunity to plan in secret.

"Okay, so, like, there's a janitors entrance here" Shaggy said pointing to the hospital blueprints they had procured from the library. "The guards at Patrick's first floor room change every two hours. The best time for us to get in would be during the two o' clock shift change."

"The computer system at the hospital is accessible through the building's wi- fi" Eric continued. "I can get to that from the diner across the street. If I can get in you'll get a two minute lag time in the security cameras to get in."

"We'll distract the cops on their way to the shift change" Daphne said.

"While we distract the guards on duty?" Red clarified.

"Exactly, giving us enough time to get into the room and question him" Velma finished.

"Our evil plan just might work" Fred sighed.

**Part 16: Mission Impossible**

In the diner there was a set of three tables that were highly sought after. They were the tables closest to the hospital where you could get the strongest Wi-Fi signal. In was slow day and the lone young man had no problem procuring one. No one paid him much attention as he sat, drinking his coffee, and typing away.

Across the street the guard at the front desk of Darrow Memorial Hospital noticed a flicker in the screen. In seemed minor. About three separate cameras had been affected, two on floor four and one near the Psychiatric Ward. There were already guards near the psych ward, so, just to be safe, he sent his partner to investigate the grouping. If there was trouble it was there.

As the second guard left his post three people in coveralls entered through the janitors' entrance. Cautious for a moment, the guard checked the message that had just been delivered the day before, refusing admittance to a Fredrick Jones except in case of emergency. None of these three matched the description. They must be new.

Officer's Strong and Baker were on their way to Darrow Memorial to relive the guards on duty at Knight's room. Rogers and Neville believed that there was a connection between him and the kidnappings, so the task force was handling it personally, unfortunately that meant guard duty. As they turned onto the road to the hospital they noticed a sports- car with one of the taillights smashed out. Warily they flicked on the siren and had the car pull over. Inside were two young women, both with long brown hair. Baker walked up to them and gave them the usual spiel.

"Do you know your tail light is out?" He asked. The driver answered in what sounded like thickly accented Scottish slang. "Pardon?"

The second one exited the car and looked at the light, apparently understanding. She then began another string of heavily accented slang at the driver. After a few exchanges, Baker gave up and interrupted.

"Look, we're in a hurry" The officer said. "Just get it fixed and I'll need your license and registration

The driver handed it to him and he went back to the car, punching it in automatically. He only paused to make sure that there were no warrants and then he let them go. It was only after they had left that he bothered to look at the name, Shannon Blake. By then the car was long gone.

"I wonder how that light could have been broken" Daphne laughed twirling a hammer in her hand.

"I do hope we didn't make them too late" Shannon smirked.

Officer North nudged Jaffe as a janitor walked towards them. Janitors weren't supposed to come down until the night

"What are doing here?"

"I clean now" The man said in a thick eastern European accent.

"No, no cleaning now, no thank you" Jaffe said waving her hands emphatically.

"I clean now" The man nodded.

"No, later please. Janitors never come now."

"Shift change, I clean now"

"Sorry, not now"

The man, seeming not to hear them, took a mop out of the nearby janitor's closet and began scrubbing the floors. Jaffe and North looked at each other in exasperation. Finally, Jaffe decided to go ask the front desk what was going on. North stood uncomfortably, watching the man scrub the floors.

"You move; I need to clean spot by door."

"I can't leave"

"Go stand against wall, and close eyes… chemicals sting."

"I can't close my eyes."

The janitor looked very annoyed as he pulled a set of smudged goggles out and tossed them to the confused officer. She put them on, noting that she could barely see through them. If she could, she would have seen two more janitors slipping into the room she was supposed to be guarding. She might have heard them too, if the janitor's cart hadn't been squeaking like crazy.

Velma and Marcy slipped into the room where Patrick Wisely lay, handcuffed to the bed. As the quietly shut the door behind them, Velma mouthed to Marcy.

"I can't believe that worked."

They walked up to the bed. Patrick was asleep, but he looked pale. Cautiously, Velma nudged him awake. His eyes fluttered open. For a moment Velma was worried he might start yelling, but he stayed quiet.

"You're back" He whispered.

"Sure" Velma shrugged. "I'm back, but you can't tell anyone I was here okay."

"I understand, I'm just glad I can warn you. They came again, I know they must have. The Krampus picks a successor, the shadow men find the children. He needs to find them, the master, he needs new power. You must save them before the Ides of March; that is when they will commence the final testing."

"Where are they?"

"Fear is their fire"

"Fear" Velma tried to clarify.

"Fire is fear" he nodded. "You should go. The police woman is coming in now."

Velma and Marcy heard the door click. They barely had time to rush behind the window curtain, before Officer Jaffe entered with a nurse carrying a tray of food.

"You're sure no janitors should have been here?"

"Absolutely" The nurse said. "Not at this time of day."

"Well he left anyway, security's been notified, black hair, dark beard, they'll find him."

Velma and Marcy snickered silently, thank goodness for wigs. Marcy put her hands behind her and nudged the window open. Slowly, Velma stepped out the narrow crack. Marcy followed. They shut the window and dropped into the bushes. On the other side of the street, Red and Eric were standing on the sidewalk. Any minute now Fred and Shaggy would be along to pick them up. It had worked. They took the coveralls off, revealing the street clothes underneath and went to join the others.

As the crossed the street, they noticed something was wrong. Red and Eric looked nervous. They had their hands behind their backs and Eric's computer was missing. Once they joined them in front of the diner they heard a small jingling. They turned to see Officers Rogers and Neville holding handcuffs.

"Nice try" Neville said.

**Part 17: Something New**

Velma sat in the cell wondering what would become of her. Marcy was with her, but Eric and Red were in a separate cell. No doubt they would at least call the others in, hopefully they couldn't prove anything.

"Marcy, I never asked you why you were helping us. I mean, I know we've worked together in school, but you've never really been involved in one of these cases before."

"Fred asked me for help with his investigation and those things took someone I care about too." She answered. "Besides, Blake made a good argument, she's very convincing."

"That she is" Velma said.

Through the office window, Velma could see Rogers and Neville pacing around. Whatever was happening it looked like the two were having a very mature and serious discussion.

"La La La, I can't hear you" Sam said, cutting Beau off again.

"Listen" He yelled, slamming his hand down. "They not only have a perfect track record, but they executed an operation that made us look like idiots, and they got something out of it."

"We caught them didn't we?"

"We caught them, because they were smart enough not to break more laws than they had to, we caught them because Shannon Blake used her real license and because we had a hunch."

"They're just kids."

"Some of them are eighteen, and the ones that aren't are still eligible. They'll do it anyway if we do this, we can keep them safe."

Sam thought it over, twirling his ring in his hands.

"He wants to help find her just as much as you, they aim, we shoot; It'll work."

Fred had already spent ten minutes yelling at the desk sergeant. The rest of the gang had been called in when the others were arrested. As far as Fred could tell the cops had no proof of anything. Finally, Rogers and Neville walked in.

"Like dad, please, you gotta let them go" Shaggy pleaded.

"Norville, they broke the law, there has to be some penalty."

"Just because we…" Shaggy realized what he said as Fred buried his face in his palm. "Are you gonna arrest us, send them to jail?"

"No" Sam sighed. "We're deputizing you."

"What!"

**Part 18: A Town Meeting**

There was a period in the history of Barbera County when the three towns had been united. Since then, the mayors of each town had always maintained a certain discourse. There was even a semi official building, the Stillwall Hall of Darrow University. Sam Rogers looked at the soaring hall apprehensively as he led his team, plus _interns_, into the meeting. He had made sure to give forewarning. The Sheriff in Crystal Cove seemed about ready to tear his head off. The mayor though, had seen their work at the ScrimTech factory, and was more than willing to give them a chance.

Shaggy kept his eyes on his dad. He was still having trouble believing what was happening. For two years, the arrangement had been that they were tolerated by the police, now they were supported by them, at least some of them. The Sheriff of Crystal Cove was eyeing them warily from under his wide brimmed hat, his black mustache bristling as he breathed in and out. Next to him wan Janice Nettles, the mayor of Crystal Cove. It was a difficult job, being in charge of a town that made its money off disturbances and hauntings, but the thirty year old brunette had taken to it well since being elected, even taking pains to turn the city into something other than a tourist trap.

Gatorsburg on the other hand had very few citizens, being more of a nature preserve than anything. The town actually laid on the edge of a massive swamp that overlapped with Embrujada Woods. As such, the police force there was primarily composed of forest rangers. Their mayor, Ernesto Caimán, was a lean man with a black beard and sharp features. He looked extremely wary as the meeting commenced, then again, most everyone did.

"Are we ready to begin?" Mayor Nettles asked. Everyone was seated. "I'd like to thank Mayor Snipper and Mayor Caimán for their cooperation. We've called this emergency meeting to address some new evidence in the case. I have been informed that one of Detective Rogers' interns…"

"Pets" The sheriff interjected.

"Bronson!" She snapped as though this was a regular occurrence. "One of Detective Rogers interns has acquired some new evidence."

Sam smiled and urged Fred along as he took the miniature camera out of his pocket and walked up to the computer at the desk in front of the room. He nervously fumbled with the device for a moment before plugging it in and displaying the image, via projector, for all to see.

The room went silent, dead. It was as though all life had simply been sucked out in the blink of an eye. No one wanted to look at the screen, but no one could look away.

"I know some of you may not believe this, but we've seen stranger things." Fred stammered. "The image has been verified, it wasn't tampered with as for as we can tell, and what you're seeing is, what I saw when I took it."

Again, no one wanted to say anything. They just stared at the black shadows projected on the wall. They were like smoke, impossibly slender, and yet, they had some mass. Their arms, which reached out like tendrils seemed solid as they grasped the children in the photo. Their heads were like some nightmarish combination of flesh and shadow. For many, it was the first time anyone had seen them, for Fred, it just brought the memory back.

"I recognize that" Shannon spoke up.

"Oh my God" Daphne said. "It's them."

**Part 19: The Fair Folk**

Daphne had told everyone to wait as she phoned her butler. Ten minutes later he arrived with a large leather bound book from the Blake Library. She opened it, instinctively knowing which page she wanted. Velma, ever curious of books, leaned in closer on the title which read _A History of the Mythology of Scotland by Lord Hamish Blake IV_. As Daphne opened the book, Velma had to do a double take. The illustration, an ancient sketch resembled, perfectly, Fred's photograph.

"The Fair Folk" Shannon whispered cautiously.

"The what?" Shaggy asked.

"Most people call them fairies" Daphne explained. "In the old legends, we called them the Fair Folk so as not to offend them."

"Fairies have been taking people?" Mayor Nettles asked apprehensively.

"Have you got a better explanation?"

Velma was suddenly struck with an idea, and there was no way she was going to wait for the meeting to end. One of the distinct advantages of being rather short and rather quiet is that she could slip away unnoticed, well not unnoticed by all. It was very hard to sneak away from Shaggy and Scooby.

**Part 20: The Darrow Archives**

"Where are we going?" Shaggy asked as he followed Velma across the large university campus.

"The library… basement"

"Okay then"

"Aren't you going to tell me that we need to take some officers with us?"

"I'm gonna trust the old Velma intuition" He smiled.

They walked through the doors of the massive columned building and began making their way through the shelves. In the very back a stairwell led down to the basement level.

"Sheiβe" Velma cursed. "The door's locked."

"Like, where's Daphne when you need her" Shaggy said.

"How about a key"

They turned to see a familiar looking man with brownish blond hair, arms laden with books coming up to them.

"Like Mister Warner, haven't seen you since the island."

"Well, I've been here, now let me guess, you want to take a look at the archives?"

"Could you help?" Velma pleaded.

Michael Warner handed his books off to Shaggy and unlocked the door. Flicking on the, barely adequate, lights, he led them down a steep staircase into the bowels of the library. Shaggy gulped as the lamps cast strange, all too familiar, shadows across the wall.

"These are the oldest archives of Barbera County. Over three hundred years of history is all stored down here."

"Where would records of disappearances, maybe police reports, be?"

He led them to a shelf where hundreds of books where all piled on top of each other. Just as Velma was reaching to take one, the lights went out. Instinctively Velma grabbed Shaggy's hand. They couldn't see anything, but they could hear rustling and hissing. Two footsteps sounded next to them and they heard Mister Warner grunt. A sound like metal against metal pierced the air and then, just for a moment, the lights flickered back on.

They could see the creature. It was holding Mister Warner by the throat, then the lights died again and another metal sound reverberated. The three of them ran, feeling their way up the stairs. When they got up, they saw the rest of the gang, along with the entire police task force waiting for them.

"It's down there" Velma shrieked. "That thing is down there"

The officers drew their weapons. The air hung still for a moment until…

"Don't shoot" Warner called as he emerged, shirt slightly shredded, from the basement. "That thing must have gone further into the catacombs down there, if it gets into the caves you might lose it."

Six officers went down. Three hours later they came up empty handed. According to Mister Warner, a system of natural caverns ran under Crystal Cove. The police sent a number of squads down in the next day, but again came up empty handed. Shaggy and Velma had been chewed out by Detective Rogers. He didn't fire them, or arrest them, but he made sure that they would be working in the police offices only for the rest of the case.

**Part 21: The Test**

Maggie had been going since last night. She had searched every corner of the room, tested the door and the window. Everything was secure. Meals had been brought in by armed guards who had informed them that five would be taken for testing at noon. Noon was now fast approaching, and Maggie had no intention of being taken anywhere.

"You gotta rest" Fernando sighed.

"I gotta find a way out, I know there's one, I can feel it."

Against the wall, Madelyn was rubbing her head in pain. Since coming in Maggie had observed some of the others doing the same. Whatever it meant, it seemed to be a factor in selection. When the guards came down at noon, they took Madelyn, as well as Arlene Wilcox, who had also been complaining of headaches, as well as Fernando, Sally, and Maggie. They were quickly blindfolded and led up the stairs and into the main house.

To Maggie it smelled of mold and dust. There was an older layer of scents too, like finely carved wood and polished silver. The floor was felt padded, like hard wood softened by years of soaking water. Without her sight, she relied on the harshly guiding hands of their captors. Finally she felt herself being shoved into a chair. The blindfold was ripped off and she saw the others seated beside her.

She couldn't tell what kind of room they were in. Whatever it had been once had been repurposed for something else. A table laden with surgical tools rested in front of them. Standing at the table was a man in a dark double breasted suit. Black gloves adorned his hands and dark, round, sunglasses rested on his face. The face itself was obscured by a black ski mask. Behind him was another man, skinny and nervous looking, in a white shirt and red waistcoat. He was also wearing gloves, but they were rubber, surgical gloves. His brown hair was tousled and he had small, Victorian looking, sideburns.

"They look promising." The masked man said in a raspy British accent. "Henry, perform the usual tests. I'll be in the parlor."

"Yes… Jack" The other man sneered disdainfully.

_Jack _walked out. The guards stayed inside while, the other man, Henry, pulled a less devious looking medical instrument off the table. It looked like the brainwave scanners usually seen on Science Fiction movies. He gently attached two scanners to Sally's head. Before continuing, he threw a glance at the guards.

"You can go"

"Doctor Griff…"

"I don't give a _damn_ what he told you, get out because you're disrupting my scanners."

The guards glanced at each other for a moment.

"We'll be just outside"

Once they had left, Henry turned back to the children, looking far more relaxed.

"I am so sorry about them. Now listen, I need to perform some tests and the less you know the better, okay? I promise not to hurt you, that's why I'm here and not Jack."

"You got a hell of a friend there" Sally spat.

"Not my friend" He mumbled.

Henry pulled a small marble from his waistcoat and placed it on the table. Next he turned to a small bronze device and opened a panel on the top, revealing an intricate clockwork center. After calibrating it for a moment, he set it down and turned it to face the group.

"Miss McKnight first please; I'm going to ask you to try and move the marble.

Sally looked down at her hands, which were bound to the arms of the chair with leather belts.

"Seriously."

**Part 22: Faerie Tales**

Shaggy tossed another crumpled paper at the trash bin. It banked off the side of the office cubicle and landed just outside the rim. Eric reclined in his chair and sent another paper ball flying. He watched it bounce off the side of the wall and land in the bucket.

"Roo points Eric" Scooby lazily barked from his sleepy position at the foot of Shaggy's desk chair.

"Well this sucks" Eric groaned. "You guys stray from the pack and you get dropped into desk duty with me, don't know what I did to get taken off of field work."

"You hacked into the hospital computers"

"I mean besides that" Eric rolled his eyes.

"Well…" Velma said walking in with a large stack of papers. "Why don't you guys make yourselves useful."

She dropped the papers onto the desk, creating a miniature explosion of dust. Both boys coughed it out of their lungs as Velma pulled up a chair next to them and opened one of the folders.

"Redcaps lure people into bogs" Eric read pulling up another folder.

"Ditto for will o' the wisps" Shaggy said.

"Pooka would destroy crops" Velma tried.

"What was it that Daphne and Shannon's book mentioned?"

"Changelings" Shaggy said as his eyes widened on a folder. "Variations include Tylwyth Teg, Hulder, and… the legend of Rumpelstiltskin. The kidnap children, sometimes to replace, sometimes for… it's not important we just need to get them back."

"Shaggy" Velma sighed. "I'm worried too, but we're not seriously proposing that there are real fairies running around. It's someone using the legend maybe but…"

"Riet" Scooby barked.

He perked his ears up and pushed himself off of the floor. His eyes were wide in concentration. Suddenly he jerked his head to the side, towards the door into the cell block.

"Rere here" He barked.

Velma pulled a flashlight out of the drawer and turned it on, treading slowly toward the door. The boys glanced at one another for a moment, wondering whether or not to stop her. They shrugged pulling out flashlights and followed. The streetlights flickered on outside as darkness fell, casting long, slender, shadows across the room.

Velma pushed the door open, intently stepping into the cell block. A chill blew through the room causing everyone to jump. The door slammed behind them. Shaggy whirled on it, trying to pry it open.

"Like no sell" He panted.

"Ruh ro"

"AH!" Eric yelled, clutching his side.

His knees gave out and he fell, grabbing the cell bars to desperately try and steady himself. A shadow suddenly parted from the wall, expanding and becoming a full, three dimensional being. Velma swung her flashlight, but it passed right through the creature like smoke. The shadow stepped forward and Velma back- stepped. The creature kept advancing, out of the shadow and into the beam of light streaming in through the window. Velma half expected it to disappear, but it kept going. Slowly, it cocked its head to the side like a curious animal. Suddenly, and with an inhuman speed, it shot out its arm like tendril, making it slither around Velma's arm and pulled her towards it. Panicking, she swiped the heavy flashlight through it again.

Behind her, Shaggy and Scooby charged forward. Shaggy swung his own flashlight at the creature's tendril where it held Velma. It made contact, but the creature held on. Scooby darted behind it, snapping his jaws at its leg. Again they passed through. The shadow that made up the face seemed to morph, forming a gaping mouth that seemed to scream at them, a terrible hissing noise.

Getting an idea, Velma took the flashlight and shinned the beam directly into the creature's face. It spasmed, tossing Velma hard into the bars of the nearest cell. Shaggy and Scooby winced as they heard the sickening crash of her impact. The creature rounded on them, twitching and hissing. It raised its arms like it was ready to strike. Shaggy balled up his fists and Scooby bared his teeth. Just as the creature was nearing them, a spark of blue energy crackled around it. Shaggy glanced behind the creature. Eric was lying on the floor, wincing as he lowered a police taser.

"Bull's-eye"

The creature leaped out of the window. Shaggy rushed to Velma who was collapsed against the bars. Her eyes were blank and trickle of blood dripped down her forehead.

**Part 22: Alice**

Adjacent to Darrow University there was a cemetery. It was the oldest in the county still in use. Fred and Daphne stood, waiting over the grave for the others to show up. It had been a rough night and this grave had a way of pulling up bad memories.

"Hey kids" Mister Warner said. "You alright?"

"Bad memories" Fred replied looking down at the tombstone. We've been on a lot of cases, but this one" He pointed to the stone. "Was the only one where we actually lost someone."

"Colonel Saunders was a great guy, scared the heck outa me, but still" Warner said placing flowers on his grandfather in law's grave. "How're your friends?"

"Eric got a cracked rib, but he'll be alright. Velma's gonna be in the hospital for a while, she got knocked around pretty hard, but she's tough and they doctors say she'll be fine."

"I thought you were bringing someone with you?" Daphne said.

"He's in his office' I'll take you there."

They followed Mister Warner across the university and into the History Department. He led them to an office with a sign that read _P. Stillwall PhD. Folklore_. They opened the door onto an older man with balding white hair in a tweed suit.

"Professor Stillwall" Fred said holding out his hand. "I'm Fred Jones, we're here about…"

"The house" He interrupted.

"What house?"

"Michael said that you want to know about the March disappearances. If you do, that means you need to know about the mansion."

"Who's mansion?" Daphne asked.

"Mine, Stillwall Manor; please… sit."

Fred and Daphne both took seats in front of the desk. Mister Warner stood by the door with his arms crossed. Stillwall sat behind his desk.

"I have had the pleasure of reading your friend's essay on the Krampus mythology in Barbera County." Fred and Daphne gave a little chuckle. What Dell wouldn't give to know someone was reading his website. "Despite a certain… dramatic flair, his theory was sound. For every year that a child disappeared at Christmas, many more were taken later, in this month. It stopped at the same time that the hunting party raided Embrujada Woods. The disappearances have not occurred in all that time, not even after that young man was taken."

"But they're happening now."

"Yes well, as your friend posited, the December kidnappings were linked to the one's in March."

"What does this have to do with your house?"

"In the 1800's, my family lived in Stillwall Manor, just on the border of Gatorsburg in the swamp land. My ancestor Charles Stillwall was in that hunting party, he died. His older son Jefferson inherited the house as well as care of his sister Alice. That March, the home was broken into. Alice was almost taken, but the Jefferson and the staff managed to capture the intruder. In his diary, Jefferson wrote that the intruder was a man transformed, warped to the point that he could no longer be called human. He wrote that he sealed this creature in the house and left it forever."

"And you think that whatever is coming now is the same thing that Jefferson sealed in the house?"

"I think that there could be clues. Jefferson spent his life hounded by accusations of murder, whatever is in there, I hope it can vindicate my family… and save your friends."

Stillwall sat up and shook hands with the three of them. Once they left his office, Fred sent a quick text to Officer Neville, letting them know where they were going. Had he checked his messages later, he would have seen that Officer Neville told him to wait for Messick and Kasem to escort them in. Fred knew this; that was, of course, the reason he did not check his messages.

**Part 23: SOS**

Maggie tumbled as she finnaly tore the metal spike from the wall. Madelyn and Fernando looked on in mild confusion.

"You're gonna need a tetanus shot for that" Fernando said.

"Yeah, I'll ask Doctor Henry." She grunted as she started hacking at a loose plank in the floor.

"Maggie, are you trying to dig your way out of the house."

"No" She said, irritatedly turning from her work. "I'm trying to send a message. Don't you smell the water? Didn't you feel the wind on your face when they led us up? Don't you hear the constant hissing outside these walls? Those're gators, we're in the swamp land, and how do the winds always blow through Embrujada swamp this time of year?"

Fernando shrugged.

"The town" Madelyn said with dawning comprehension. "You want to carve an SOS and send it downriver?"

"Ella esta loco" Fernando mumbled.

"No, it could work." Madelyn said widening her eyes. "If we're near water deep enough, and if we could get a good sense of where the window is."

The small radio bolted to the door buzzed to life.

"Sally McKnight, Fernando Martinez, Abby Wilcox, and Madelyn Dinkley, prepare to be collected for testing, all others stay away from the doors."

Maggie carved a quick note into the wood and passed it off to Madelyn.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"Wait for the wind Mads" Maggie said. "Toss it towards the wind."

The guards opened the door and Madelyn handed the plank off to Fernando who quickly shoved it into his sweater. They were both blindfolded and led from the room.

"Ever see a magic show Doe Eyes?" He whispered to Madelyn.

"Yeah."

"Misdirection, I'll hand you the board and distract them, you toss it."

Madelyn nodded, and then realizing he couldn't see that, she gave a short, affirmative squeak. In a few minutes they both felt the wind on their faces. Fernando plucked the board from his sweater pocket and discretely passed it off. Madelyn took it and waited.

"Necessito el baño" Fernando spoke up.

"Quiet!" the guard grunted moving slap him.

Fernando ducked and closed his fingers around the man's arm. There was a flash of heat and the man recoiled in pain. Madelyn felt for the strongest draft and tossed the board. She held her breath, counting until…

_Sploosh_

Another guard tied Fernando's hands and they continued down the hall.

"Got it" Madelyn smiled.

"Buena"

**Part 24: Lineup**

Jimmy paced around the police evidence board. He plucked at one of the pushpins holding up his drawings.

"I drew these from the eyewitnesses."

"They look the same" Red grumbled crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.

"Thanks we _had _established that" Eric said through the webcam. He was still in bed at the hospital, but Shannon had come and set up a link to the offices at the station.

"There are some differences" Marcy said in a tone that suggested that she was reaching for any clue.

"Not enough to be conclusive" Shannon said over the webcam, leaning awkwardly in front of Eric's face.

Minga stood up and pulled out a red marker. She walked up to one of the drawings and began coloring in one of the white areas.

"Hey!" Jimmy yelled.

"There" She said capping the marker. "Now what does it look like?"

"It's a clown" Marcy gasped. "Wait, isn't that Velma's witness sketch?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Velma's afraid of clowns."

"One of those looks like a skeleton, whose is that?" Red chimed in.

"Joe Wilcox"

"Abby and Arlene's dad, he hates skeletons, mentioned it when I came over last Halloween." Macy said.

"Whatever these things are…" Shannon said. "They're playing to people's fears.

**Part 25: Stillwall Manor**

Fred and Daphne pulled up the Mystery Machine just outside the swamp. Daphne had called ahead for a fan- boat to take them to the coordinates Mister Warner had gotten for them. They walked up to a small boathouse and were greeted by a gaunt man with sickly pale skin. A chuff of black hair was tucked under a hunting cap and a black beard covered most of his face.

"You must be Mister Perkins" Daphne said, trying to be friendly but to no avail.

"Emergency radio's in the supply chest, don't wreck it" He grumbled tossing them the keys.

Fred caught them and helped Daphne onto the boat. They untied it from the dock and revved the engine. The large fan dish on the back began to spin, blowing them across the swamp. As he steered the rudder he kept one eye out for any gators.

"Where are all the animals?" Daphne wondered out loud.

Fred just shrugged, adjusting the boat's course along the map. After ten minutes, without any sign of life, they came to a rickety dock. The wood had largely rotted away and half of it was collapsed into the swamp. A bramble of vines had grown around the supports, strengthening it in some places and weakening it in others. Fred eased the boat in and tied it to one of the more solid looking timbers.

They both stepped out and tread carefully onto dry land. Looking ahead, not ten meters away, they saw a large antebellum mansion rising into the distance. White paneled wood rose three stories high. Massive stone columns flanked the front entrance underneath stone gargoyles that peered menacingly from the corners of the roof. A metal weathervane creaked as it turned in the wind.

Fred and Daphne began walking up the hill. On their way they noticed more of the grounds, a gazebo, a greenhouse with windows that were now more dust and dirt than glass, and a small circular stone well. They trotted up the steps and toward the door.

"Think we need a key?" Daphne smirked.

Fred turned and smiled. He struck the door with his boot, knocking the rusted iron handle out. The door creaked open.

"Lady's first" He laughed waving Daphne inside.

"How gentlemanly" She said taking the first steps into the musty house.

Fred tossed her a flashlight and lit his own. The beams cut through the darkness, illuminating the myriad particles of dust in the air. Two grand staircases weaved up onto a second floor. Bits of broken glass and paper were strewn about the floor. Daphne kneeled down and cupped her hands around a golden chain. Carefully, she lifted it, unearthing a locked from the dust caked floor.

"A.M.S" She read off the locket's engraving. "Alice M Stillwall?" She guessed.

"Alice May" Fred confirmed pulling a small leather bound book off of the floor. He opened it up. "_Jefferson has asked us to leave the house. He can no longer live with the evil that he has imprisoned here. It is madness that dwells in these walls, madness and evil._"

"Alice's diary" Daphne gasped joining Fred where he sat at the foot of the stairs.

"She drew this sketch" Fred said pointing to the next page. "I think it's a location in the house."

"You think that's where the evil is imprisoned?"

"Here's the plan, we…"

"If you say split up, I'm going to punch you in the face." Daphne said raising her fist for emphasis.

"It would be faster" Fred pleaded.

"Ten minutes, we meet back here in ten minutes and call the minute you even think you see something moving." Daphne agreed.

Daphne took a photo of the sketch in the book and took off for the east wing. Fred stuffed the book in his back pocket and took off in the other direction. Alice had drawn a desk with a large window, so they were looking for that.

Shaggy had explained something to him once. Ghosts and snarling monsters were startling, but scary was something different. Scary was not knowing what was coming. Fred had no idea what was in the house. In the front of his mind, he tried telling himself that people back then were superstitious; in the back of his mind all he could think was that they might have been superstitious but they weren't stupid. Something had happened here.

Daphne had been born in a castle older than her great grandparents. She and her sisters and Shannon had spent their first years exploring dark, musty passages that they had been told not to enter. This was different though. Those passages had been Blake passages. They had been built by family and whatever the Blake family were, they were good people. Daphne did not know what kind of people the Stillwalls had been, that was why she was uneasy.

Daphne jumped as her phone began ringing, the music piercing the musty silence. She answered and heard Fred's unmistakable frantic breathing on the other end.

"Freddy what's wrong?"

"Where is she!?" He screamed.

"Who?"

"Daphne, what have you done with her!?"

"Freddy where are you?" Daphne said tensely.

"I'm in the library, I'll be waiting for you." He growled.

Daphne ran across the house. She rounded the last corner and skidded to a stop at the entrance to the library. Half the bookshelves had been toppled over. In the middle was Fred, standing hunched over a large hole in the wall. A human skeleton was chained up inside.

"Freddy?" She called uncertainly.

Fred rounded with a look like a wild animal. He ran at her yelling and shot out his fist. Daphne deflected it easy enough. No matter how good Fred was, and he was good, Daphne knew she was better. He swung again and this time she caught it and swung his arm around behind his back.

"What have you done with her!?"

"Freddy it's me!" She grunted.

"LIAR!"

He broke free and kicked at her legs, knocking her off her feet. Daphne rolled away from him and jumped back up. He charged at her and she readied herself. As he got up close, she stuck her leg up and let his momentum do the rest. He was knocked back, head first to the floor and was out cold.

**Part 26: Resolution**

Shaggy knit his fingers together and rested his hands on his knuckles. Next to him, Velma was laying in her hospital bed, just regaining consciousness. It was now March 15 and Shaggy wasn't sure that things could get any worse. Scooby was sitting at the foot of Velma's bed, patiently waiting for her to get up. Slowly, she began to stir.

"Hey Shaggy" He choked out.

"Hey Velms" He smiled.

"How long was I out" She said staring at the hospital room.

"Just the night; Eric's in the next room, he and the others made some breakthrough. I brought your laptop." He pulled it from his bag and handed it to her. "How do you feel?"

"Like I was tossed off a building."

"You're not far off" he managed with a weak chuckle.

Velma had begun starting up her computer. Shaggy figured that it was about time for him to go. They still needed him at the office; he still needed to solve whatever was happening. He got up and made for the exit. Reaching into his pocket he began counting change, figuring that he would get a snack before he left.

"Shaggy" Velma said as he moved to get up. "You know you've been really brave, it reminds me…"

"Remind you of what?"

"I never told you what happened back at the hotel, when we were on the run."

"You told me that the robot me fooled you and it bugged you that it got the better of you. It's all right" Shaggy smiled.

"It wasn't just that, the robot… it flirted with me…" Velma bit her lip. "It kissed me."

Shaggy's change clattered to the floor. He dropped, scrambling to pick it up, hoping Velma could not see his face. Behind him, he heard Scooby trotting out and the door shut behind him.

"I… I mean it… Like it…"

"I thought it was you, when Packard programmed those robots… he knew how to get to me. That was what bothered me, that my feelings got me nearly… well, thrown off a building."

"You're… feelings?"

"For you" She clarified.

"Velms I… like I…" Shaggy stammered, barely concealing his grin.

"Shaggy, if you don't…"

"Velms… thanks" He took her hand.

Whatever might have happened was cut off by a ping on Velma's computer. As she checked her messages, her face lit up.

"Shaggy, did the doctors do a blood test?"

"Yeah" he said, wincing at the thought. He handed her the chart.

"I was talking with the Hex Girls…"

"Oh yeah, like I heard what happened."

"They just sent me the results of their test after the accident. One of the things in their system was… some kind of hallucinogen. And it matches what the doctors found in me. Shaggy, what if those creatures aren't creatures, what if they're just releasing some kind of hallucinogenic gas?" She was smiling wildly.

**Part 27: A Captive Audience**

Fred's head was pounding. The last thing he remembered was smashing through the wall when he had found the location from Alice May's sketch. There had been a skeleton chained up inside, and then everything went black. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought that Daphne might be in danger. Forgetting the pain in his head, he tried to get up. His hands would not budge from the chair, and he also never remembered sitting down in a chair. Fred could feel ropes on his arms and legs.

"What the frak?" He whispered to himself.

"Comfy?" A familiar voice asked.

"Daph, what's going on?"

"Don't you dare call me that."

"What?" Fred moaned through the pain.

"Only Freddy calls me that."

"I don't think we're on the same page."

Daphne stepped up out of the shadows flipping a large silver candlestick holder in her hand.

"Had a dream like this once" Fred muttered.

"Here's the plan, you tell me where Freddy is and I only call the police on you."

"Good plan" Fred nodded frantically. "He's in the closet." Fred said, hoping there was a closet in the library.

Daphne turned away mumbling to herself. Fred set to work. He jerked his body around, trying to force his pocket knife out of his jeans. Finally, he felt something moving and let it slide backwards where his hands were tied. He held out his palm and received… a tin of mints.

"Frak"

"What?" Daphne called from behind one of the bookshelves.

"Nothing!"

Fred tried again, this time producing his lighter. 'Close enough' he thought as he flicked it open, hoping that the ropes would burn before the chair… or his hands. He could smell the smoke and hear the crackling cords until…

"Got it"

He stood up and looked around, wondering where Daphne had gone.

"Nice try" She said from behind him.

"Gah!" he jumped, whirling around to face her.

She was still holding the candlestick holder in her hand and was brandishing it rather menacingly. Fred back stepped a few feet.

"No closet in here" She almost sang.

"Different closet" He croaked. She kept advancing. "Daph…ne remember your plan… good plan."

"To hell with the bloody plan!" She yelled coming at him.

Fred sidestepped. Daphne was fast though, and she corrected, swinging the silver stick at him. He braced himself and grabbed the candlestick holder. Daphne kicked him, but he kept his grip. She kicked again and this time he went flying into the bookshelf.

"All couples fight Freddy" He spat, remember something his father had said. "It's only natural, natural my…"

Daphne grabbed his throat and pinned him to the shelf.

"Had a dream like this once too" He choked.

Grasping for anything, he closed his hand around the locket that Daphne had found, which she now wore around her neck. As he closed his fingers around it, it clicked open and a cloud of dust was released. Daphne choked it in, releasing Fred from her grip.

"Freddy?"

"Yeah" Fred choked as he slid down the shelf into a sitting position.

"What happened? I remember you weren't you, and I knocked you out. Then I went to check on the skeleton and… everything went black."

"There must have been something in the body, some kind of drug. Maybe that's what Alice meant when she said madness dwelled in the walls." He rubbed his throat as he stood up, but elected not to say anything more.

"So, the attacks are just some kind of drug, and we found it."

"Better" Fred said, closing the locket as they embraced. "We found the antidote."

**Part 28: Jurisdictional Overlap**

The paper target was torn to shreds Sam fired his sidearm into it. The heavy booms of the gun echoed into the room. Sam stood alone in the training room viciously emptying his clip. As he fired the last bullets the gun began clicking. Sam just kept pulling the trigger.

"Reload" Beau said rolling his eyes as he entered the range.

_Click, Click, Click_

"I said reload or put down the damn gun!" He yelled.

"Sorry what?" Sam asked taking out his ear plugs.

"The kids just called. Blake and Jones took off to the old Stillwall house, we haven't heard from them since."

"Oh great" Sam grumbled rubbing his face. "Any more good news?"

"Actually" Beau smiled. "Yeah, Dinkley figured it out, and those sketches Proudwolf did confirmed it, whatever these things are, they're using some kind of drug to make people see… whatever the hell they're seeing."

"So it's not really…"

Sam stopped abruptly as Sherriff Stone walked in.

"Not really what?"

"Not really gonna be up to us what happens when we catch them if drugs are involved. You know the Feds'll be all over it." Sam finished, trying to sound like it was what he really meant, just a jurisdictional problem and not fairies.

"I decide who takes care of what in my town." Stone growled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam's eyes narrowed.

Beau watched the scene, hoping what he thought was going to happen didn't happen.

"It means, I don't like the way you do things, letting kids interfere in police work."

"Really, and maybe I should just let criminals go free to bring in tourists right?"

"Damn" Beau whispered.

"Don't you dare say a word against…"

"Hey!" Beau called. "Why don't we send a team to get Blake and Jones, then you two can kill each other."

"I already sent a team" Stone sneered walking away. "They'll bring them back… in handcuffs."

**Part 29: Distress Signal**

Shaggy had fallen asleep next to Velma's bed. Scooby was at his feet. Outside in the sunset, the moon was full. Before he had fallen asleep he found that creepy; a full moon on March 15. Whatever Knight had warned of was fast approaching and they still had no idea what it was. As such it had been hard for Shaggy to fall asleep, but not impossible.

In his dream he was in a swamp. For a moment, he thought it was the forest and the castle. But the ground was wet and he could hear the alligators. They gathered in this place. He could smell people. Some were well rested and strong, some were weak and scared.

"Shaggy?" He heard. It was Maggie's voice, but not fearful, confidant.

**Part 30: Such a Long Long Way to Fall**

Fred and Daphne exited the house. Fred's jaw still hurt like hell. He suspected that Daphne had gotten the easy cure. There was still a little bit of dust in the locket. Whatever it was, they hoped it was the answer. As they walked down the hill, past the well, Fred heard something.

_Tap tap, tap tap._

He trotted over and peered down the well. Inside there was a piece of wood, no bigger a text book. It was stuck in a little underground stream beating against a rock in the currant. There was something written on it. Fred could not make out the whole thing, but he could make out one word, SOS.

"Daph look at this." Fred pointed down excitedly.

"You think?" She asked.

"Yeah" He smiled.

Fred climbed over the edge of the well before Daphne could protest. He carefully stepped down along the uneven stone. He dropped the last foot, splashing into the cool water.

"Daph toss me a light"

Daphne pulled one of the flashlights out and tossed it down to him, throwing an uneasy glance at the setting sun. The swamps were dangerous at night.

Fred flicked on the light and lifted the board. It was old, and water worn, and looked like it had been so for decades. The carvings in it were new though.

_SOS Mads_

"Mads" Fred smiled. "Madelyn"

Fred tucked the board into his pocket and was about to climb out when he heard a rumbling behind him. He turned to see a mass of water rushing toward him out of the caverns.

Daphne looked down at Fred's frantic expression. Before either could say anything, Daphne felt a pair of hands push her into the well. She may have been hurt when the well was shallow, but now the raging torrent stopped her fall.

She grabbed Fred's hand as they were swept away down the cave. They crashed into the sides of the cavern. Daphne pulled Fred toward the surface and they both gulped in air before being forced under once more. Suddenly Fred's leg erupted in pain. He turned to see a small alligator, just a baby with its jaws locked onto him. He opened his mouth to scream and inhaled the water.

All three of them were slammed into a wall as the cavern turned. They slid along the side for a moment before being carried off again. The walls had become smoother now and the water browner. Fred saw Daphne pointing ahead of them. It was an onrushing cage. No, not a cage, bars, and it wasn't coming at them, they were heading for it.

Pieces of swamp debris rushed past them. The sound of the bars being hit reverberated through the water. Fred turned his head away, bracing for impact, and saw a large piece of timber rushing for them. They kicked up and it sailed under them, crashing into the gate and breaking it loose. They were forced through the hole that had been left. Desperately, they grabbed the timber.

Finally the waters calmed and they bobbed to the surface. Fred coughed the water from his lungs. The gator had released his leg and climbed up on top of the board. It looked at Fred curiously.

"Hi" He coughed.

"Freddy"

"Yeah- hum"

"We're in the sewer."

"Yeah- hum."

**Part 31: The Final Test**

Maggie scraped the walls, digging her nails into the wood. The grooves she cut were rigid and sharp, but she gave them form. One word, that she had carved over and over again, not as a plea, but as a promise, _Free_.

The guards entered again. The prisoners had been informed that a final test would commence that day, the fifteenth. Maggie glared at the guards as they made their final selections. There were three that would be taken; Sally McKnight, Arlene Wilcox, and Abby Wilcox. Doctor Henry was standing with them, next to the masked man, Griffin. Griffin stood rigid and Maggie imagined that if his face were visible he would have been smiling. Henry looked upset, conflicted. He barely made eye contact with anybody and least of all the test subjects. But when he looked at Griffin, Maggie caught an unmistakable hatred in his eyes, an animal fury.

**Part 32: Dude, Where're my Gators**

It was dark now. Fred and Daphne had dragged themselves out of the sewer, alligator and driftwood in tow. They trudged to the police station, realizing reluctantly that there was no time for a shower. When they opened the door, everyone visibly recoiled.

"Where have you two been?" Officer Rogers asked.

"You two look gingin" Shannon said covering her nose with her palm.

"English?" Fred moaned.

"Is that an alligator?"

After patching up Fred's leg and showering, Fred and Daphne donned the blue Coolsville PD shirts and spare shorts that they had been given and briefed the others on their findings. They pulled up the locket and handed it to Officer Jaffe to give to the lab. One of the rangers from the Gatorsburg station was holding the baby alligator.

"You said you found him in the tunnels under the Stillwall House?"

"Found being a relative term" Fred said rubbing his leg. "But we didn't see any in the swamp on the way there."

"We haven't been tracking any abnormalities in their travels, they should be there."

"Yo ranger lady" Eric, recently released from the hospital, called from his desk. "Your files say that all the gators disappeared from their regular area half a month ago."

"How'd you get into our files?"

"Let's pretend you let me in."

Sam turned suspiciously to the rangers.

"Well?"

"I swear we don't know anything about it" She answered. "I have the printout right here."

Sam took the paper from her and scanned it. Eric stood up and peered at it over his shoulder.

"Formatting's wrong" Eric declared. "Sloppy hacking, they did a file replace, but when I went into your system through the back door everything was fine."

"Someone didn't want you to notice the missing gators." Daphne said.

"Holly sloppy techs Batman" Eric smirked turning back to his screen. "They got into your system too, the report from the lab on that picture from Fred's camera, it was doctored."

"I'm gonna kill whoever did this" Sam growled.

"You're not gonna have a long wait" Eric said. "They're in the system now."

"Can you find them?"

Eric just smiled. Then he set to work. To Eric Stauffer, this was like a hunt, a matter of pride. Computers were his forest and he was a wolf. The hacker was good, but not good enough. Doors were left open and files were made painfully obvious. Judging from the evidence they were setting a preemptive attack on the antidote that Fred and Daphne had brought.

"Eureka" Eric smirked. "They're in the swamp, I got a radius…"

"And I have a location" The ranger announced.

She pulled the driftwood from the wall and scraped off the muck. Below it words were written in faded red paint.

"Alice- May" Fred read. "The girl?"

"The boat" The ranger said. Back in the day there was a river boat called the Alice- May. It got stuck in the swamp. The local wildlife uses it for shelter occasionally, but it's not in any of their regular habitats."

"Could they be keeping the kids in there?" Sam asked.

"They are" Fred announced. He pulled the SOS driftwood off the desk. "It looks like it came from the same boat."

"Definitely." The ranger said taking the board.

"Beau I want a SWAT team ready to go into the swamp and to cover the cave entrances."

"We're coming with you" Fred announced.

"No" Sam said, not an order, but a plea. "You aim… we shoot. This is most definitely a police matter… and I won't risk your safety… any of you."

"Okay" Fred agreed. "Just please, bring my friends back alive"

"I promise."

**Part 33: Thoughtless**

Shaggy and Scooby were standing in the lobby of the hospital. Velma was still asleep and Eric had been discharged. Somewhere in the building his mother was prepping an ambulance. Scooby paced around his legs.

"Ro, rar roo two ronna ret together?"

"I… I think I'd like that" Shaggy laughed weakly. "I'm just… I keep dreaming that Maggie's calling for me… I need to find her."

"Ree rill"

"Scooby, do you see that?"

Shaggy pointed out the window where a dark figure was running down the street, towards the forest.

"Raggy… ra smell, rits one of rem."

Shaggy nodded and they both quietly exited the hospital. They followed behind the figure. It stopped at a covered pickup truck on the side of the road. Shaggy and Scooby waited for the figure to get in and then, largely without thinking, they climbed inside the back.

**Part 34: Someone's Coming**

Fred waved as the trucks left carrying the assembled forces of three town Police Departments. After they were out of sight, he walked over and sat down with the others.

"I can't believe that they got into my camera."

"How did they get into the system?" Shannon asked.

"Well, not my way, that's for sure" Eric said still on the computer. "They had codes" His voice faltered. "Guys, they had mayoral codes."

"One of the mayors is with them?" Daphne gasped.

"All of the mayors got briefed on the SWAT strike. Which means they also know that… aside from a few guards, we're alone here."

"Then we get ready" Fred announced standing up.

**Part 35: Infiltration**

Shaggy and Scooby rode in the truck for a good eight minutes before in stopped. Outside they could smell swamp water. The truck's engine died down and a door opened. Shaggy and Scooby held their breath as footsteps splashed in the mud outside. Two men grunted as they pulled the back of the truck open.

"What the hell is this?"

"It's one'a them meddlin kids."

"Alright, well, we know what to do with that."

Something came with the moonlight that streamed onto Shaggy's face. He launched himself from the truck, kicking the first man in the chest. He went down hard. The second man pulled a knife and swung. Shaggy ducked, grabbing the man's arm and twisting. The knife fell and Shaggy threw his elbow into the man's face. The first man got up and Shaggy grabbed him by the shirt and struck heads with him. He fell.

As Shaggy fought, Scooby had surveyed they swamp dock where they were parked. A fan- boat was prepped and there was a map with a location marked.

"Raggy, rap"

Shaggy nodded, climbing into the boat.

"Let's go get our sister back.

**Part 36: The Brotherhood**

Sam checked the gasmask in his squad car as Beau drove them out to the swamp. The Gatorsburg Rangers would be providing boats to transport the teams into the swamp. The masks were so that no one ended up seeing demons.

"Sam, I just thought of something"

"What?"

"Stauffer's at the station… but your boys and Kurt's girl, they saw the thing too, and wounded it… if this is… you know…. _His _people, he'll come for blood, and no regular guys're gonna be able to handle one'a _his _guys."

"So, do we call Vincent, get John or Rachael out here?"

"I'm thinking that we send in our librarian friend."

Sam nodded. Then he pressed his ring into the glass of the passenger window, specially replaced for this purpose.

"Michael, we need you at the hospital… in uniform."

**Part 37: An Unwelcome Visitor**

Velma stirred in her bed. There was a person standing over her and for a moment, she thought it was Shaggy. It reached out an arm, much beefier than Shaggy's and turned the lamp on. Another hand picked her glasses up from the table and placed them on her face. Velma recoiled at the snarling wooden mask the man wore. Above it was a wide brimmed hat, below it a brown leather duster with an axe swinging from the belt.

"Hello beautiful."

Velma tried to get up but she found her hands restrained to the bed with leather straps.

"Who are you?"

"Hm… I always prefer what are you, but beggars can't be choosers. I was sent here to kill you, and the skinny one, and the dog, and the annoying hacker boy… but they ain't here."

Velma's eyes flickered to the axe but her face stayed cold.

"Then why wait?"

"Because I got a little story to tell you. You see it's been a long time since anybody listened to it… and it's a lovely littler story. See there was this guy, and he had this thing he liked to do…" The man's hand hovered over the hilt of the axe. "So one day some people that needed that thing done offered to pay him for it, and you know, some people say that if they pay you for it, it ain't really fun anymore… they're idiots. So he started doing it for money and it was good gig until the cops got wind of it. They chased him down… and they shot him!" The man laughed heartily. "So there he was, dying, when a devil shows up and asks if he still wants to do his thing, and the man says yes and so this devil brings him back to life again, and again, and again… and it never got old. So, what can we learn from that?"

"You shouldn't play with your food" Velma smirked as she undid the other restraint and rolled off the bed.

"Wrong answer" he brought the axe down toward her.

Suddenly another blade intercepted the axe. Velma looked along the blade, protruding from the sleeve of a blue robe. On the chest was a silver V stripe. On top was a beaklike hood, shadowing everything but a grimacing mouth. Another blade, protruding from above the hooded man's other knuckles crossed with the first, forcing the axe down.

"Story time's over." The robed man kicked Axe Boy across the room. He ran at him, blades raised. Axe blocked the strike and kicked. "Run!" The man grunted to Velma.

**Part 38: Trapped**

Shanks kicked the door to the Police Station open. He and his six men were more than enough to handle those punk kids; after all, they had already taken out the cops left to guard the place. The lobby was empty. He readied his gun, an antique, the kind his boss preferred.

One of his men moved to step behind the desk. A small snap sounded. The man looked down to see a tripwire that he had broken. There was a zip and then several flares went up around the room. None of his men even got singed.

"Nice try kid, but we don't scare that easily!" He yelled laughing as the flares set the fire sprinklers off. "Pathetic."

They stepped, more carefully now into the next room. Shanks saw a light in the first office in the hallway. Silently he stepped inside, his boots splashing in the puddles forming on the floor. There was a person sitting at the desk. He turned the chair and smiled. It was a CPR dummy, the kid was smart. Then he heard another wire snap. Two clicks sounded and he turned to see his men in the hallway.

Three of them were convulsing in a puddle of water. Two tasers had been rigged to a tripwire on the chair. They had fired into the puddle, zapping the three men standing in it. Shanks nodded with a grudging respect. The kid was good, but now he was dead.

Shanks stepped over the arcing puddle. His men followed, now more cautious than ever, but also scared. It was just a little, but it was fear.

"There's only so many times we fall for that kid!"

One of his remaining men noticed a door left ajar. He nudged it open and a glass beaker fell from above it. It crashed on the man's head, knocking him out. The liquid inside splashed the next man who began screaming as he accidentally swallowed it. Shanks recognized the smell, it was their own fear gas. The screaming man dropped his rifle and charged at Shanks. He struck the mad man down, stepping over his body.

Shanks motioned for his last man to enter first. He shook his head.

"What do you mean no?"

"I'm not going in there"

"You're scared of some kids?"

"_Some kids _didn't do this."

You want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Shanks struck his last man down and stepped into the room. The boy was right there, sitting in a desk chair at the police lab table, smiling at him.

"No more tricks kid?"

"Come on in"

"End of the line cowboy" Shanks said as he cocked his rifle.

"Yippee- ki- yay moron."

Shanks aimed and pulled the trigger. The antique gun sputtered with the water it had collected from the sprinklers. Even then, Shanks had to smile at the kid's cleverness. He pulled his combat knife and charged at the kid. The kid pulled a taser and fired. Shanks fell to the ground.

"Checkmate"

**Part 39: Axe and Blade, Tooth and Needle**

Velma ducked as the two men pushed each other from the hospital room. The one in the robe punched with the knife above his knuckle. The blade sunk into the other man, but there was no blood and no real reaction. The other man swung his axe. Blades caught it in his hand. He retracted the blade and punched. An arc of blue electricity emanated from his glove. The axe man was zapped back three feet. Smoking, he stood up.

Velma began running towards the stairwell door. A smaller hatchet sailed past her, impaling itself in the door. She turned to see the Axe Man with the robed man in a choke hold, axe at his throat. Then Velma saw Robe elbow the other man in the stomach.

What she did not see was the blade, now housed in the man's sleeve, travel on a flexible metal track down his forearm until it ejected from the sleeve below his elbow. She did not see the other man get stabbed in the gut by the hidden blade. She could not have guessed either. The man showed no signs of being stabbed. Robe knew this, but he used the leverage to force Axe into his grip. He maneuvered Axe to the window and shoved him out, shattering the glass.

Velma gasped, staring as the man in the blue and silver robe leaned against the wall and collapsed into an exhausted sitting position. Somewhere, five stories below, a crash sounded. Velma had to guess that Axe was dead, something she could process later.

"Are you one of the good guys?" The man nodded. "Are you hurt?"

"Are there any criminals in the hospital?" he panted.

"What?"

"He said… he let a friend out… I need to know… who's in the hospital?"

A guttural growl emanated from the stairwell. A red haired bearded man in a hospital gown stepped out of the door. He pulled the axe from the wood, breaking the door off its hinges as he did. His mouth dripped with saliva; he was like an animal. The man in the robe stood up. He raised his fists in a boxing stance and the hidden blades sprung from above his knuckles.

"Get behind me" He grunted.

Velma stepped behind him as Patrick Wisely charged. Robe knocked the axe from his hands. Patrick dug his teeth into the man's arm. It drew blood. Something was making Patrick stronger than he had been before. Velma watched as a syringe of synthetic adrenaline, epinephrine, that doctors used for allergy patients, fell from the man's hand.

Robe kicked wildly as the beast man slid him up the wall. Desperately, he tried to get his hands on the man, Velma guessed to use the shock gloves. Suddenly a woman came running out of the stairwell. She pulled the fire extinguisher from its mount and whacked Patrick across the chest. He dropped robe and rounded on her, growling.

"Misses Rogers!" Velma exclaimed.

Kate ducked as Patrick took a swing at her. She twisted his arm around and pulled her keys from her pocket. She grasped one in her knuckle and whacked him across the face. He turned back; a scar now formed, and pushed her to the wall.

Robe grabbed onto Patrick's shoulder and slammed him to the floor. Patrick kicked up, sending Robe flying into the ceiling. Velma stepped back into the closest hospital room and caught sight of something. She picked up a chair and smashed it into the glass case that held the meds. She pulled out a tincture of sedative and syringe and set to work.

Kate wiped the blood off her lip as she stood up. She didn't know who the man in the robe was. She didn't know who had let Wisely out or why he was so strong. She didn't know why she hadn't been able to protect her daughter. But she knew that she damn well wasn't letting anything get Velma, not while she could still stand. She straightened the key between her fingers and charged, upper-cutting the beast. He shot his hand out and grabbed her by the throat.

"Go to hell" She growled.

He barred his teeth. Then his eyes rolled back into his head. He fell back onto the tile, slamming hard. Kate gasped as air filled her lungs. In front of her Velma stood over the man. She had a dripping syringe in her hand.

"Clever girl" Kate smiled.

"What is it?" the robed man grunted, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

"Low level sedative, he'll be out for a few hours but otherwise he'll be alright."

"Good to know" Robe said as he pricked them both with syringes. They hadn't seen him fill them.

He looked down at Wisely. Then he pressed the communicator in his ear.

"Mister van Ghoul its Mike Warner. I'm gonna need a cleanup crew and some transport. I'll be on the roof of Darrow Memorial Hospital. And sir, I'm bringing Patrick Wisely, he can't stay here anymore. Thank you sir."

**Part 40: Shaggy's Run**

Shaggy docked the boat and stepped onto the dock. Two more guards were stationed there. In two seconds, they weren't. Scooby just stared on. His best friend was acting different. Scooby now recorded four instances that this had happened. The first had also happened when Maggie was in danger.

Drifting from this train of thought Scooby looked up the structure where they had landed. It was a riverboat. The wood was old and the paint was peeling. Almost every inch of metal had been rusted by the humid Florida climate. The dock they were standing on was newer. It must have been built by these men. Something else caught Scooby's attention. It was a scent, faint, but unmistakable. Maggie was inside.

Shaggy eyed the building as he heard this. There was no smile yet, because there was no relief. First they had to get to her. Shaggy kicked the makeshift door in the hull down onto a long hallway. Immediately a guard rushed him with a long machete. Shaggy ran at him, up the wall three steps and then down, striking the man with his foot.

He kept walking, purposefully, down the hall. Another three entered, and they carried guns. Shaggy grabbed the barrel of the first one and shoved it into the man's face. Using the man's grip on the gun he turned him around and pushed him into the second man, forcing both against the wall. Shaggy Kicked at the third with blinding speed. Another four came as he continued on.

Shaggy slammed fists and struck legs. He head- butted one and let him crumple to the floor. Another gun came at him. Shaggy forced the barrel up as three shots rang out. Dust came down on them from the punctured ceiling and Shaggy used that to strike the man down. A scream sounded.

"Maggie!" He growled.

He dispatched the others with ease and each thereafter as they made their way down the hall. Two flights of stairs in the massive boat and they found themselves at a door. Two guards stood sentinel, guns ready. Shaggy ran at them, sliding and kicking one over and onto the floor. Still on his back, Shaggy vaulted up by his arms, upper- cutting the next man with his feet and landing like a jungle predator on the ground. He straightened up and kicked the door off its hinges.

Terrified faces greeted him and immediately normal Shaggy was back. Maggie ran up and hugged him. Both their eyes streamed with tears.

"Shaggy, you came." Shaggy said nothing, he just hugged his sister. Reluctantly he pulled away and did a head count. Maggie cut him off. "They took three to the roof."

"Like, Scooby, get them out. There were a few more boats, get them all home." Shaggy clapped eyes on Dell. "Dell, help out buddy, Mysteries Inc right?"

Dell gave a weak nod.

"Shaggy I can help you" Maggie said.

"Help them, get dad, I'm going to the roof."

Scooby, and Maggie, and Dell nodded at him. Shaggy gave his own weak nod and set off toward the stairs.

**Part 41: Storming the Castle**

Sam and Beau donned their body armor. Each man with them was equipped with their best bullet proof vests and a gasmask. No one was seeing any shadow men tonight. They had thirty men to storm the river boat, ten more at each tunnel entrance throughout the county. There were medics standing by ready to receive the hostages. Sam braced himself as the fan boat adjusted course.

"Stone" He called to the sheriff standing next to him. "I know we've had our differences but…"

"No need" The man said. "Your people did good; I owe you an apology, and I'd like to do that by way of this raid."

"Then let's go" Sam smiled.

"Masks people" He ordered into the radio on his vest.

In unison each officer locked their gasmasks into place. Sam checked his shotgun as the grounded riverboat came into view. This was ending tonight.

"Give the word sir" Kasem said over the radio.

Three loud bangs echoed across the swamp.

"Shots fired! Go in!"

Thirty pairs of boots stamped into the swamp. Sam and Beau took positions on opposite sides of a makeshift door that had been installed in the hull of the boat. Beau checked his face for conformation and Sam nodded. Beau kicked the door down and they stormed in.

Immediately a man came out in a hazmat suit spraying a gas canister. No sell, Sam clipped him in the arm and moved on. The team split off, taking separate rooms.

"South bottom clear" Welker said over the radio.

"Lower kitchen clear." Strong announced.

Sam and Beau moved upstairs. The lights on their guns bounced around in the darkness. Sam kicked the first door in the hall down and found it empty.

"Where are they?" He yelled.

Just then a guard came crashing to the floor. Shaggy appeared over him clutching the front of his shirt. Sam had no time to be impressed. The man sprayed the gas into Shaggy's face and he began screaming. Sam pulled a syringe from his vest while Beau cuffed the man. One prick in the arm and Shaggy subsided. There hadn't been enough time to inoculate the whole team, but Sam had made sure to carry at least one syringe of antidote.

"What are you doing here?"

"They took them to the roof Dad. Scooby and Maggie got most of the others out but three were taken to the roof."

"Beau, call Messick and Kasem, Shaggy I want you to go with them, find the others you sent out. I'll get the rest, trust me."

Shaggy nodded, and now, in his father's presence, with bullets flying around him, he felt just as scared as he should have been when he entered. Now he could afford to be.

Messick and Kasem met Shaggy and took him back to the boats. Sam and Beau took off up towards the roof.

**Part 42: Swamp Chase**

Five boats, it took five boats to get everyone out. Scooby was with Dell, Maggie, Madelyn, and a boy named Fernando in the lead. Lights began to dance in the trees. Four wet- skis burst from the trees, all carrying armed guards.

"Company!" Dell yelled.

They all ducked as bullets whizzed overhead.

"Why can't they just leave us alone?!" Madelyn screamed.

Scooby heard a loud crash. He looked up to see one of their pursuers being flung skyward on a jet of water.

"Row range"

Scooby ducked again as another man came up next to them.

"Enough!" Fernando yelled.

The wet- ski sparked and then flew backward on a column of its own flame. A third one came at them and this time Maggie sat up. She picked up a paddle and tossed it like a javelin, putting the man off balance. He drew his gun and this time Scooby pounced. He jumped, wrapping his legs around the man and sinking his teeth into him. Scooby pushed away, jumping back to the boat as an oncoming tree did his job for him. One was left now. Suddenly another boat crashed out of the trees carrying a team of Police and Shaggy. They rammed the man off his wet- ski, catching him in their boat and cuffing him.

"It's over kids" Kasem said. "You're safe."

**Part 43: Chasing Griffin**

Sam and Beau finally climbed onto the roof of the old boat. A helicopter was waiting and three men were boarding, along with three bound hostages. As soon as they spotted the two officers the copter began to ascend, leaving the hostages and one man behind.

"Go get him" Beau yelled. "I got this guy"

Sam ran at the copter and jumped, grabbing onto the landing skids. He ejected the hidden knife from his sleeve and dug it unto the hull, thinking how much easier this would be with his climbing gloves. He climbed, knife over knife, into the copter, coming face to face with the two men responsible for all this madness.

"You're with the Knights I suppose?" The unmasked one asked.

"Not for long he's not" The masked one said drawing a knife.

"Not today Jack" The other man said. He pulled a syringe from his waistcoat and jammed it into the other man's neck. He immediately fell unconscious. "I'm sorry, but that's all I can do for you, now take this…" He shoved a parachute into Sam's arms. Sam looked at it curiously for a moment before the man kicked him from the helicopter.

Back on the ground, Beau was beginning to wish he'd taken the copter. The other man, his face concealed by a gas mask, had pulled a knife, taking the black haired girl hostage. The other two, Arlene and Abby, stood behind Beau who had his gun lowered, trying to negotiate.

"No deal!" the man yelled. "I get out of here, with all the hostages."

"Not how it works" Beau said.

Beau smiled as he saw something floating down from the sky. Sam eyed the situation as he fell, clinging hard to his open parachute. Once he was close enough he jumped. He hit the man before he hit the roof, taking the perp's neck into a choke hold and wrestling the gun from his grip.

"You have the right to remain silent!" Sam yelled. Somewhere in his vest was the little card he was supposed to read the rights off of, he'd get it later, now he just sat, cuffing the man. It was over, they were safe.

**Part 44: Situation Resolved**

The sun was just beginning to rise as Sam and his men walked from the boat. Fifty arrests in all, not a single hostage or officer lost. A crowd had gathered. The whole of the three towns was there, not to witness the spectacle of the gunfight, but to cheer on their officers. A round of applause went up as the crowds of weary officers walked into the sunlight. The crowd parted to let them through, clapping and cheering. Sam looked around as families were reunited. Siblings and boyfriends and girlfriends and sons and daughters all embraced.

For once, Sam noticed, the meddling kids were standing off to the side… and that just wouldn't do.

"Let's get out great detectives up here. We couldn't have done it without them."

The officers pulled the gang out of the cheering crowd up next to them.

"We aim you shoot right?" Fred laughed.

"We'll work on it." Sam answered. "But I believe the honor of the unmasking goes to you."

Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby, and Velma smiled at each other. Then they brought up the others, Eric and Dell, Minga and Shannon, Jimmy and Red and Marcy. This was the team that had caught the bad guys; the meddling kids and the cops together. They all turned to Fred.

"You never gave up" Daphne said. "Do it"

Fred pulled the mask off. There was the usual gasp. Sam just nodded his head. He pulled the Miranda Rights card from his pocket and handed it to one of the rangers.

"You're the official officers of Gatorsburg, this one's yours."

"Mayor Ernesto Caimán, you have the right to remain silent…"

**Part 45: Fletcher's Tale**

Fernando Martinez slipped off into the crowd. He had no idea how he was meant to get home, not that he had one. He was a street kid, but still, he was a Mexican street kid and he was long way from there. He slumped down against a tree as la policía arrested the mayor.

"Fernando, isn't it?" A voice said behind him. It wasn't Estadounidense either, it sounded like some of the tourists that would come to watch him perform on the streets.

"My name's John Fletcher"

He turned to see a skinny bearded man. He was wearing a blue blazer over a red t- shirt and red and white sneakers.

"Okay" Fernando said uneasily.

"I know what you are, you're not the only one. You know they were looking for people like us."

"You're not like me" Fernando spat.

"Aren't I?" Fletcher answered. His hand turned to fire and he burned a word into the ground; _Mismo_, same.

Fernando gasped, looking up wide eyed at the man. Fletcher slumped down against the tree next to him.

"I was like you once, alone, orphaned."

"Have you been watching me? Fernando said, backing away.

"No" Fletcher rubbed his head. "Your thoughts are screaming at me."

"You can read my mind?"

"I'm not trying to. But I know how you feel; I was alone on the streets. No friends, no family, I was the local devil child. One day, I got caught pinching a loaf of bread. The baker caught me and I thought I was going to jail. Then a man came, he walked up, flicked some money into the baker's hand, and led me away. 'You don't have to steel' he said. 'I'm like you. I know what you can do.' He burned his name into the tree to show me; Vincent Van Ghoul. He took in this scared littler boy and showed him he wasn't alone. There are a handful of us born in each generation, we have to stick together."

"What about the others?"

"We'll keep watch on them; make sure no one comes to take them again. The people who took you, it's the job of my friends and I to stop them. But you, you're alone, and we can help you, the way they helped me, you don't have to be alone."

"How do I know you're the good guys?"

"Because… _they _kidnapped you, I'm offering you a choice."

"If I come with you, where would we be going?"

"Home, mine, yours if you want, it's the base of our brotherhood, out home."

"They called you devil child?"

"Yeah" Fletcher laughed. "Devil child, witch boy… what'd they call you?"

"The tourists and the hotel managers, after they realized I was scamming the people, they called me…"

"Go ahead"

"Flim Flam." Fletcher laughed. Fernando looked at him indignantly. "You're laughing."

"Sorry, it's good, it's… I'm sorry, it's just so old fashioned, where the tourists from the twenties?"

"So" Fernando said changing the subject. "Where are we going?"

"There's a house near here, that'll take us home… Flim Flam."

"I've got fire hands you know?" he laughed.

"So have I."

They walked off, away from the crowd together. They walked toward outer Coolsville, toward the Griffin House. They walked home.

**Part 46: Club Meeting**

The room in the back of the bookstore had never seemed more filled. The space outside, had never seemed more alive. Families had been reunited. The town had been freed. School would resume soon. Fred sat with Daphne on the couch. Minga sat with her arms around Dell. Shaggy and Velma sat together, Fred noticed. He wasn't sure what was going to happen with them now. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if they knew either, but something had happened, some weight had been lifted.

Thorn's father had come to pick her up. There were about twenty out of state kids. The police still didn't know the full extent of the group that had taken them. Shaggy still didn't know how he had taken out those guards; once the sun was up and the crisis was over he was back to his old self. They were just chalking it up to his instinct as a big brother.

It seemed the alligators had been drawn to the fear gas. That was why the baby had bitten Fred's leg. Jefferson Stillwall had caught one of the men doing this back in his day and locked him in the walls. The skeleton was still coated in the formula. Alice had apparently figured out how to stop the effects. The men were just mercenaries as far as anyone could tell. They had been wearing hazmat suits and spraying the gas when they attacked. When Eric tased the one, it tore the suit and exposed him. It was still unclear though why this had happened at all, and as Daphne had said, sometimes things just remain mysteries.

Scooby had his own theories, and his own questions. Something had happened in that swamp, and the robed man that Kate and Velma had seen was still out there along with Patrick Wisely and the man who had attacked Velma, both of whom had disappeared. Something had smelled different on Shaggy when he fought, different but familiar. These were questions for a later time though, this was time for celebration.

"To Mysteries Inc." Fred said raising his glass.

"To Mysteries Inc." The others repeated.

They toasted and talked in the back of that bookshop. They had earned it, and yet, some could not shake the feeling that part of this case wasn't over, not by a long shot.

**Part 46: Epilogue**

Sam and Beau vaulted over the back gate of the Griffin house, no one could see them enter; such were their orders. They walked in the back entrance, through the musty old house and into the parlor. A large wardrobe stood off to the side, an impossible cold wind emanating from it. Doctor Fletcher sat, legs crossed on one of the chairs, a cup of tea in hand. Warner leaned against the wall. The robot man, Charlie, stood still beside the window. They all clapped as Sam and Beau entered.

In the middle of the room sat another man. His face appeared about fifty, but appearances could be deceiving. He had slick black hair and a thin mustache. His body was thin and lean, and he wore a black suit with a bow tie.

"Mister Van Ghoul" Both bowed.

"You did good boys" He said. "Near as we can tell Griffin was looking for sorcerers. Henry was able to lie on our behalf and two of them, Madelyn Dinkley and the young man John found, were not identified as such. Michael has brought Wisely into the base. He'll be held until we can expel whatever psychic programming was put into him."

"He warned us of this" Sam said. "I'll try and keep the rest of the police off him as long as possible."

"Thank you Samuel, we'll provide some false sightings to keep the search out of town. In the meantime it seems the mystical energies get strongest in this area around March Fifteenth." "

"That's probably why the testing has been done here" Fletcher said. "The Krampus would be trained, and then seek out the children in town who showed the most magical potential, then the soldiers would release the gas, using it as a smokescreen to take the children. Records show that Alice- May, a member of our order in adulthood, devised the antidote, but it was lost for decades."

"Without their Krampus they must have been relying on guesswork." Vincent continued. "Still, they got too lucky; we'll have to watch those three girls. Sam, Beau, I'll leave that to you. Keep an eye on the Wilcox sisters and Miss Dinkley, none of them knows of their powers so it should be easy. I'll send Mister Merlin to Oakhaven to keep tabs on the McKnight girl."

"What about my son?" Sam asked. "Do they still want him? Are these experiments connected to what Jacobo was doing?"

"We don't know, but for now we believe that the Dinkley girl is his primary target in the town, your children simply got caught up in that fight. Watch the Dinkleys. I think your children are safe."

Sam nodded and he and Beau were dismissed. The others moved to leave too, but Vincent raised a hand, stopping them. Once he was sure Sam and Beau were out of earshot, he spoke.

"Charles, keep watch on the Rogers boy. Sam cannot know, but there is something about him that they want. John, _he _began this location ritual again after all these years for a reason, find out why.

"Yes sir" They both said.

**End Part 10**

**Developments, developments, hmm? How shall this play out. Just to clarify, although I think it's pretty explicit, no member of the gang has actually killed any villains or henchmen. This story I really wanted to give the Coolsville PD their due, they're always there to cuff the villains and in my world they really have their work cut out for them. I always thought of it as a Sherlock- Lestrade, Batman- Gordon relationship. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, tune in next time when the gang visit Shaggy's grandparents in New York. **


End file.
